Portable washing machine



Dec. 31, 1968 J. M. VALDESPINO 3,418,832

PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 11. 1966 Sheet INVENTOR JOE M. VALDES PINO ATTORNEY/3 J. M. VALDESPINO PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE Sheet 2 of INVENTOR JOE M. VAL DESP l NO d$xd-fie 2% A ATTORNEY Dec. 31, 1968 Filed Aug. 11, 1966 ....//l III/[[11101]]! United States Patent 3,418,832 PORTABLE WASHING MACHINE Joe M. Valdespino, 5023 Golf Club Parkway, Orlando, Fla. 32808 Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 571,911 3 Claims. (Cl. 68183) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A small portable apparatus connected to an external source of water under pressure which injects water and air from the atmosphere through a venturi-type nozzle arranged generally tangentially of the apparatus. A discharge tube is adapted to discharge the water from the apparatus by a siphon action when the water level reaches a predetermined height so that the apparatus will fill and empty automatically and repeatedly.

This invention relates to portable washing machines particularly suitable for washing personal effects and the like of travelers and others in a minimum of time with a minimum of effort and expense.

In view of the present day trend to fabrics which do not require ironing, fewer clothes are used by travelers and it has become more and more important to launder lightweight pieces of apparel but satisfactory washers, portable or otherwise, have not been found available and especially having various desirable characteristics.

It is an object of the invention to provide a simple practical inexpensive washing machine small enough to be readily housed, transported and used for washing a small amount of personal apparel or effects, which machine can be easily attached to a water faucet or spigot including in wash basins, tubs, and other locations, and which uses a minimum of water with a small amount of soap or detergent and consequently can be readily drained in a basin, tub or other receptacle.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a washing machine without moving parts but having means for producing agitation due to the force of the water sufficient to thoroughly cleanse the contents of the machine.

A further object of the invention is to provide a washing machine which will perform a washing operation with substantial agitation, one or more rinsing operations, with automatic siphon emptying of the machine after each of the operations, all going on during the flow of water, and then the shutting off of the water so that a minimum of water is used and a minimum of time required for the entire washing operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation illustrating one application of the invention;

FIG. 2, a vertical section with the cover raised;

FIG. 3, a side elevation at right angles to the view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4, a top plan view with the cover raised on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, a horizontal section on the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6, an enlarged fragmentary section on the line 6-6 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 7, an enlarged section of one of the venturi-type aspirator nozzles.

Briefly stated, the invention is a washing machine having a receptacle into which water is admitted from a spigot, faucet, or other source of supply under the control of a metering valve. The water inlet pipe extends to one or more tangentially disposed jets with ventun' passages and combination air and detergent inlets on the discharge sides of the jets. Thus water introduced through the jets tan- 3,418,832 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 gentially will cause swirling action of the water and contained clothes or objects washed. Near the bottom of the receptacle is located a screen and from below this screen is connected One end of a siphon of a cross-sectional area substantially larger than the area of the inlet water pipe so that the container will be emptied automatically even though the inlet water pipe continues to introduce water into the receptacle. Also the upper portion of the siphon is right angular to facilitate operation of the siphon. The cylinder or clothes container may have a hinged cover provided with a downwardly extending jet or nozzle located substantially one-third of the diameter of the cylinder from the wall of the cylinder for preventing ballooning of certain fabrics in the machine. The last mentioned jet or nozzle is connected by a flexible tube with the water supply. The cylinder or container for the clothes may have supporting legs and the siphon discharge terminates at a slightly higher level than the lower ends of the legs. Also the upper angular connection between the two legs of the siphon is located in slightly spaced relation from the top of the clothes cylinder where it determines the water level.

With continued reference to the drawings the washing machine of the present invention includes a cylindrical body or receptable 10 closed at one end by a bottom wall 11 and open at the opposite end. A cover 12 is mounted on the body 10 by a hinge 13 located adjacent to the open end so that such body can be closed. Water or other fluid is introduced into the receptacle 10 through an inlet pipe 14 from a suitable source of supply such as a faucet or the like (not shown). The supply of water from pipe 14 is subject to a metering valve 15 which cuts off the flow of water after a predetermined amount has passed through the valve. The valve 15 supplies water to a header 16 located around the outer periphery of the tank in spaced relation to the bottom wall 11. The header 16 supplies water under pressure to a plurality of equally spaced venturi type aspirator nozzles 17 which project into the body 10 and are arranged generally tangentially of the inner peripheral surface thereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, each of the nozzles 17 includes a generally cylindrical bore 18 terminating in a frustoconical converging portion 19 connected to a reduced constricted throat 20 which in turn is connected to a diverging frusto-conical portion 21. An air line 22 is connected to the diverging frusto-conical portion 21 by an orifice 21 in spaced relation to the constricted throat 20, and the upper end of such air line is connected to an open receptacle 23.

When water or other fluid is forced through the constricted throat 20 the velocity of the water will be increased and will create a negative pressure in the diverging frusto-conical ortion 21 so that air under atmospheric pressure will be drawn through the air line 22 and the orifice 21 and will be entrained in the fluid being introduced into the body 10. The velocity of the water being discharged from the nozzles with the entrained air therein creates a relatively violet swirling tumbling action which agitates the clothes or other articles being cleaned.

Clothes or other articles to be cleaned are adapted to be introduced into the body 10 through the open end and if desired a predetermined quantity of soap, detergent, or other cleansing agents may be introduced at the time that the clothes are placed in the body. Also if desired a predetermined amount of liquid type cleansing agent may be placed Within the open receptacle 23 where it can be introduced into the body through the air line 22 and the nozzle 17.

The entrainment of air into the liquid contained in the body at times causes a ballooning effect on the material being cleaned in that the air is trapped under the clothes or other articles, and such trapped air forces the clothes to the surface where most of the material will be disposed above the liquid level not subject to the washing action. In order to prevent the ballooning of the clothes a pipe 24 is connected to the header 16 and such pipe extends upwardly along the body 10. The pipe 24 terminates in a union 25 which connects a flexible hose 26 to the pipe 24 and the opposite end of such hose is connected to a downwardly directed nozzle 27 attached to the cover 12 substantially midway between the center of the tank and the periphery thereof. As the clothes within the body are being swirled by the nozzles 17 any clothes which come to the surface will be subjected to a stream of water under pressure from the nozzle 27 which will force the trapped air out of the clothes and will drive the clothes under water.

If desired the nozzle 27 may be a'venturi type aspirator nozzle similar to the nozzles 17 and may be provided with a flexible pipe or hose corresponding to the air line 22 and connected to the lower portion of the body 10. When water or other fluid is forced through the pipe 24 and the nozzle 27, the negative pressure created within the nozzle will remove water or other fluid from the body and entrain such fluid in the fluid being introduced through the nozzle 27 to recirculate part of the fluid within the body. This is particularly useful when the fluid within the body contains a cleansing agent.

A screen or grill 28 is located within the body and preferably below the nozzles 17 so that when the water is discharged from the body the clothes will remain there- In order to discharge water or other fluid automatically from the body 10, the bottom wall 11 is provided with a sump 30 to which a discharge pipe 31 is connected. The discharge pipe is connected to an opening 32 in the lower portion of the sump 30. The discharge pipe includes an upwardly extending leg 33 and a downwardly extending leg 34 connected at their upper ends by an arched or arcuate portion 35. The lower end of the downwardly extending leg 34 terminates in a discharge portion 36 having an outlet disposed substantially below the sump 30. If desired the discharge pipe 31 may be contained within a housing 37 mounted on the body 10 in any desired manner.

It is noted that the cross-sectional area of the discharge pipe 31 is substantially greater than the combined areas of the nozzles 17 and 27. The cross-sectional area of the discharge pipe 31 may be of any desired size; however, in practice it has been found that an internal opening of approximately 3 inches long by approximately inch wide has proved satisfactory to prime the discharge pipe and create the siphon action. If desired the downwardly extending leg 34 may converge inwardly toward its lower end tofacilitate the priming of the siphon.

In the operation of the device clothes or other articles to be washed are placed within the body 10 after which the cover 12 is placed in position to close the end of the body. A desired amount of soap, detergent or other cleaning agent is either placed in the body with the clothes or placed in the open receptacle 23 to which the air line 22 is connected. Thereafter water or other fluid under pressure is introduced through the inlet pipe 14 and metering valve to the header 16 and is injected under pressure into the body 10 through the nozzles 17 and 27. The entrainment of air under atmospheric pressure into the water being injected into the body causes a violent swirling tumbling action on the clothes as the water level begins to rise within the body. A corresponding water level will rise within the upwardly extending leg 33 of the discharge pipe 31 until the water within the body reaches a level substantially equal to the lowermost surface of the arched or arcuate portion 35. As soon as the water in the upwardly extending leg 33 crosses over to the downwardly extending leg 34 a siphoning action will re suit and since the cross-sectional area of the discharge pipe 31 is greater than the combined cross-sectional areas of all of the inlet nozzles, the water will be drained from the body even though additional water continues to be injected therein.

When the water level within the body falls to a point below the top of the opening 32, air will enter the upwardly extending leg 33 and break or interrupt the siphon whereupon the liquid level within the body will again be raised by the liquid being introduced through the nozzles. Any water or other fluid remaining in the upwardly extending leg 33 when the siphon action is interrupted will drain downwardly and will be collected within the sump 30. Most of the soap will have been discharged 'with the first tankful of liquid and accordingly each subsequent filling and draining of the tank will rinse the remaining soap from the clothes. After a predetermined number of cycles of filling and draining the tank the metering valve 15 will shut off the supply of water after which the cover 13 may be raised and the clothes removed from the body 10.

It will be apparent that a relatively simple inexpensive washing machine has been provided which will automatically wash and rinse clothes in a continuous cycle and which will automatically discharge liquid from the body when the liquid reaches a predetermined level and will drain the body regardless of the fact that water continues to be injected thereinto.

It will be obvious to one skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable washing machine comprising an upright generally cylindrical receptacle having an axis, at least one aspirator nozzle means located in the lower portion of said receptacle, said nozzle means having inlet and discharge portions connected by a constricted throat, said discharge portions being directed inwardly of the receptacle and disposed at an angle relative to the axis thereof to promote rotary circulation within said receptacle, means connecting an exterior supply of liquid under pressure to the inlet portion of said nozzle means for forcing liquid under pressure through said nozzle means and into said receptacle, air introducing means comprising conduit means communicating with the atmosphere and connected to the discharge portion of said aspirator nozzle means for introducing air into said nozzle for entrainment within the liquid being discharged therefrom, means for automatically emptying said receptacle in response to the liquid level therein reaching a predetermined height, said automatic means including a discharge pipe means having an inlet end positioned within the receptacle below said predetermined height and an outlet end positioned outside of the receptacle and below said inlet end, whereby said automatic emptying means will discharge liquid from said receptacle while additional liquid is being introduced thereinto and said aspirator nozzle will rotate, agitate and clean objects within said receptacle.

2. A relatively small portable washing machine having no moving parts comprising a receptacle having an upright generally cylindrical side wall and a bottom wall, an inlet line connected to an external source of water under pressure, at least one venturi-type nozzle connected to said inlet line, said nozzle having a high pressure inlet portion connected to a constricted throat portion and a low pressure discharge portion, the discharge portion of said nozzle extending into the lower portion of said receptacle generally tangentially of the inner periphery thereof, said nozzle having an orifice providing communication between the exterior of said nozzle and said discharge portion, an air line communicating with the atmosphere and connected to the discharge portion of said nozzle and in communication with said orifice to entrain air into the water passing through said nozzle, a discharge pipe for emptying the contents of said receptacle automatically in response to the contents reaching a predetermined height, said discharge pipe including an upwardly extending leg with the lower end thereof having communication with said receptacle adjacent to said bottom wall, a downwardly extending leg terminating below said bottom wall, the upper portions of said legs being in communication with each other to permit the contents of the receptacle to pass from one leg to the other, whereby when water and air are introduced into said receptacle the articles therein Will be cleaned by the rotating swirling action of the liquid being introduced through said nozzle as the liquid level rises within said receptacle and said upwardly extending leg until it overflows into the downwardly extending leg to create a siphon action which will discharge the contents of said receptacle automatically until the siphon action is interrupted and thereafter the liquid level again will rise within said receptacle.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,795,006 3/1931 Boiney 68208 X 2,502,965 4/1950 Knapp 68-196 X 2,649,706 8/1953 Kemp 68184 3,293,890 12/1966 Valdespino et a1. 68-183 X WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 68208 

